More than 10 million children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, northeast Nigeria, the Central Sahel, South Sudan and Yemen will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2021. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced the fears for children in crisis on Wednesday. UNICEF warned that without urgent action, the numbers could rise further.
Humanitarian crises hit children
All of these countries and regions are experiencing “dire humanitarian crises” while also grappling with intensifying food insecurity, the coronavirus pandemic and, with the exception of the Central Sahel, “a looming famine”, according to the UN agency.
For countries reeling from the consequences of conflicts, disasters and climate change, COVID-19 has turned a nutrition crisis into an imminent catastrophe
Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director
“Families already struggling to feed their children and themselves are now on the brink of famine. We can’t let them be the forgotten victims of 2020,” she added.
Yemen Alert by UN humanitarians
Startling numbers of children in crisis
In Nigeria, over 800,000 children will suffer from acute malnutrition. This includes nearly 300,000 of severe acute malnutrition, at imminent risk of death. The situation is particularly alarming in the country’s north-east regions, which suffer from Boko Haram violence.
In DRC and South Sudan, the number of children in crisis suffering from acute malnutrition could reach 3.3 million. This means at least 1 million with severe acute malnutrition; and 1.4 million, and 313,000, respectively.
In Central Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, worsening conflict, displacement and climate shocks could take the total number of malnourished children to a staggering 2.9 million. This includes 890,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
No end in sight to the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen
Across war-torn Yemen, over 2 million children in crisis under five years of age suffer from acute malnutrition. This means nearly 358,000 children with severe malnutrition. It is a number that is feared to rise, warned UNICEF.
Severe acute malnutrition is the most extreme and visible form of under nutrition. Children in crisis with severe acute malnutrition have very low weight for their height and severe muscle wasting. It is a major cause of death in children under five. I ts prevention and treatment are critical to child survival and development.
Ethiopia faces civil war conflict in Tigray region
Urgently expand support
Through 2020, in spite of COVID-19 challenges, UNICEF and its partners continued to deliver lifesaving assistance to the most vulnerable children in crisis and their families in the hardest to reach areas through adjustments on the existing programmes to maintain and increase access.
With situation feared to worsen in 2021, The UN agency called for action from humanitarian actors. Partners on the ground in these countries as well as the international community have to urgently expand access to and support for nutrition, health and water and sanitation services for children and families.
UNICEF has appealed for more than $1 billion to support its lifesaving nutrition programmes for children in countries affected by humanitarian crises over 2021.
